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Customer & Donor Retention: Building Relationships

To keep patrons loyal and coming back, they need to know why they should and that you truly value them.

A simple, timely customer communication program can meet both goals. A thank you note here. A special email offer there. Perhaps a newsletter with helpful information along with special offers they can act on now.

Mix up the forms and channels for maximum impact. Ongoing communication goes a long way at low cost to protect a valuable asset – your customers or donors.

There are proven ways you can deepen your closest relationships, driving more loyalty. And be assured you aren’t leaving dollars on the table . . . or seeing them spent with another organization.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary, a college wanted to use the milestone to increase alumni donations to a namesake fund. The dollars were earmarked for daily operations, scholarships, capital projects or areas designated by donors.

Previously, fundraising efforts had not met expectations. Of 12,000 graduates, only about 6% had previously donated.

The campaign launched with a postcard mailing. Variable data printing allowed for personalization by name and images specific to the recipient’s graduating era. Mail tracking technology monitored delivery to more than 10,000 alumni. Phone calls generated by the mailing were also tracked.

The postcard directed alumni to personalized web pages that greeted each visitor by name. On the website, each alum was requested to update their personal information, and upload photos and stories to a “memory wall” where they could share and comment. A prominent “donate now” button followed visitors down the page.

Website visitors were also tagged for follow-up digital ads on the Google Display Network over the next 30 days.

Results:

The school raised more than $13,000 in the first week alone.

The fundraising goal was exceeded by 30%.

Online ads garnered more than 150,000 impressions.

The website created an engaged alumni community that could be further nurtured for ongoing support.

Why Personalization Works!

More than 84% of consumers say personalization made them more likely to open a direct mail piece, according to InfoTrends research.